Sonia to announce Maharashtra CM

Amidst hectic lobbying for the post of Maharashtra chief minister, the 81 newly-elected legislators of the Congress party met in Mumbai on Saturday in the presence of central observers to choose the legislature party leader, but left the decision to party chief Sonia Gandhi.

Sticking to tradition, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, which was held in the Vidhan Bhavan (state legislature), passed a one-line resolution that Sonia Gandhi would choose the chief minister.

A central team comprising party general secretary Digvijay Singh, Defence Minister AK Antony and Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha K Rehman Khan were present to ascertain the views of the newly-elected legislators for the post of chief minister, a party officer bearer said.

While most political observers here expect incumbent chief minister Ashok Chavan to continue after the impressive victory of the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party combine at the hustings, party leader Narayan Rane was also reported to have thrown his hat in the ring.